1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present disclosure relates to the manufacturing of sophisticated semiconductor devices, and, more specifically, to a semiconductor device with an oversized local contact as a Faraday shield, and methods of making such a device.
2. Description of the Related Art
RF power amplifiers are key components in base stations, broadcast transmitters and microwave applications. Such power amplifiers can typically handle a wide range of signal types such as GSM, EDGE, W-CDMA, WiMAX and DVD-T. LDMOS (Laterally Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor) devices have been the technology of choice for RF power amplifiers for over a decade because of their excellent power capabilities, gain, efficiency and reliability. In an RF LDMOS device, a Faraday shield is usually employed for two purposes: (1) to screen the gate for drain potential and to move the high electric field away from the gate edge in an attempt to mitigate hot carrier injection at the drain edge under the gate; and (2) to reduce the reverse transfer capacitance (Cgd—gate to drain capacitance), thereby improving RF performance. As device dimensions continue to shrink, it becomes very important to develop devices with better shielding characteristics that can be manufactured in a cost-efficient and timely manner.
The present disclosure is directed to a semiconductor device with an oversized local contact as a Faraday shield, and methods of making such a semiconductor device.